But today casinos are synonymous with the Chinese territory and a cornerstone of its economy (casinos make up over 50 per cent of Macau’s economy).
The Portuguese government – which controlled Macau until 1999 – considered gambling illegal in the region up until the 1850s.
Close Venetian Macao – Macau Macau is the capital of casinos and gambling in east Asia / Image: Shutterstock
